


Vice

by FuqboiBird



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Gen, I feel like everyone has done one of these at some point, It's kinda sad, Not too much, So fair warning, and a bit darker but, apparently, corruption au??, it keeps to the actual events pretty closely, of course, oh look another one of these, really short nonsense, this is really brief, this is short, trying to come up with a title for this like 'what are some dynamic adjectives', we don't go into detail here, with some additions for Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-08 06:51:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11076276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuqboiBird/pseuds/FuqboiBird
Summary: The Champions never died.No, it could never be that simple. That quick.Instead, something much worse happened.





	Vice

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this at three am. Take it with a grain of salt.

Impa set Link on a journey to the four corners of Hyrule to free the Divine Beasts; to learn of their people; to remember himself and those who he was closest to. He set out with a heavy heart, fear leaving a bitter taste in his mouth and dread pooling in his stomach. He feared that he had forgotten too much. That he had abandoned his duties. That he had doomed his friends.

He walked North for several days, the rain growing stronger as he grew closer to the Lanayru region. It never let up, instead, soaking him and leaving a chill in his soul. The rain tasted like bitterness and loss. His dread only grew as he ventured deeper into the mountains.

He finds the Zora’s domain not long after that. There they tell him of Vah Ruta- the source of the rain- and, in more hushed whispers, of the demon inside that wears the face of the late princess. There, he finds a prince- who, while now a man, was once an optimistic young boy- who tells them that he can no longer find any joy in life now that his own sister causes what was once _their_ people immense pain. There, his fears are realized.

He frees Vah Ruta easily, the pain and anger of loss pushing him forward, and he steps into the Divine Beast with determination to end the suffering. However, the more he remembered, the more his _determination_ turned to _despair_ . When he finally came face with _her,_ with _Mipha_ , his heart held nothing but sadness and resignation. The fight was quick, but brutal. At the end, he could do nothing more than collapse to his knees and come to terms with what he had done. What he was forced to do.

Moments later, he held her in his arms, and saw that she was _alive_ and _good_ and felt a sliver of hope return. They returned together, and with them, hope and joy and _light_ began to return to Hyrule.

The Zora people were ecstatic that their beloved princess had returned to them. The celebrations lasted for days; optimism returned to the domain. Link so wanted to stay, to relish in their joy for longer, but he knew his duty lied elsewhere. Later, they stood upon the head of Ruta, and Mipha pointed North and whispered _Go_.

The trek was long and arduous, and before long, suffocating. The very air around Death Mountain was on fire, and the fire filled his lungs, burning him from the inside. The sliver of hope within him pushed him to reach Goron City, to _remember_ , to fight the despair and sorrow threatening to swallow him whole. In Goron City, the people warn of the danger ahead, of the fast approaching lava flows, of the Divine Beast that threatens their livelihood. There, he also meets a young man with extraordinary abilities; the gift of an ancestor. He promises to help. He may be the only one who can.

They head up the mountain.

Vah Rudania doesn’t take long to defeat. Link jumps into the core of Death Mountain, gliding down to the surface of the Divine Beast with ease, and holds the small sliver of hope dear. He hopes for the best. For a happy ending. It is not long before Daruk stands before Link, grinning and _good_ once more. The three of them return to Goron City and are hailed as heros. Link allows himself to hope once more.

He doesn’t tarry in Goron City for long, and heads West, determination and hope carrying him further with each day. The journey is still a long one, and it takes him several weeks. The mountainous terrain is less than forgiving; the icy wind cut him deep without a second thought. He reaches Rito Village in relief, grateful for the slightly warmer climate.

There, he learns of the oppressive watch Vah Medoh keeps as it circles the village, how it shoots down those who fly too high. The Rito live in fear of the Divine Beast’s oppressive rule, and of it’s vengeful pilot. They dare not speak his name; they remove it from all records. _It is bad luck_ , they claim, _it brings disgrace and misfortune to all that bear it_ . Link looks up at the circling beast, and _doubt_ and _fear_ and _dread_ begin to creep in once more.

He sets out. A Rito warrior, exhausted and determined to protect his people, accompanies him. The fight for Vah Medoh is brief, but taxing. The Rito warrior was injured in the fight, and the guilt threatens to consume him. He heads onto Medoh, guilt and dread filling his very being. The ensuing fight is long- far too long- and ultimately, far too costly. He leaves Vah Medoh alone. He returns to Rito Village alone. _Guilt_ and _hopelessness_ and _sorrow_ return once more.

There is no celebration upon his return, only mourning. Link wishes he could forget once more. He heads South.

The journey to the final Divine Beast is a difficult one. It takes weeks of navigation through the snow covered mountains for him to finally reach the Gerudo Desert. That in itself presents it’s own difficulties, not to mention the rather strict rules of the Gerudo society. In the end, both of those problems are taken care of easily. Within the walls of Gerudo Town he meets their young chieftess- a girl who had responsibility thrust upon her- and learns of the Divine Beast Vah Naboris and it’s sandstorms, which threaten to bury the city alive.

She warns him of the furious, devastatingly sorrowful beast that lurks within Naboris; it’s fury barely contained by the walls. Link vows to himself to not fail either of them, and they skate across the desert, the cool moonlight giving little light as they fight to bring down the Divine Beast. Eventually, the beast falls; the dust and sand threatening to consume the land falling with it. The desert is peaceful as he steps inside, and he cannot bring himself to hope.

As the sun rises over the vast desert, he emerges. Urbosa stands beside him, looking out at the colorful expanse of slowly shifting dunes, watching as the sun rises, slowly illuminating everything it touches. It's symbolic in a way, he thinks. The desert sparkles as they make their way to Gerudo Town, where they are met with _shock_ and _confusion_ and _elation_. The young chieftess thanks him and looks up at Urbosa with such awe, and he is glad he didn't fail her.

After a few days stay, Link looks to the horizon and knows that it is time. He heads for Hyrule Castle.

He suspects that the others know this as well.

They follow in suit. 

**Author's Note:**

> Now that nonsense is over, I would like to state that future fics will be much more lighthearted. Probably.


End file.
